Tacoma Link light rail station designs to be presented at public open house

January 10, 2000

Thanks to the public comments and ideas from a series of meetings and public workshops held last year, designs for the Tacoma Link light rails five stations are nearing completion. The public is invited to an open house to see how their input has shaped the design of the stations:

Tacoma Link station design open house
4 to 7 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 3

Sound Transit Tacoma Community Office
1003 Pacific Avenue
Tacoma

The open house is also an opportunity for Sound Transit to thank the people who shared their time ideas to the design workshops and meetings, and to answer any questions about the station design concepts. The stations will be located in the Theater District, near the Convention Center, Union Station, S. 25th Street, and the existing Tacoma Dome Station. Landscaping and street improvements around the stations will also be discussed.

Final design is underway on the entire Tacoma Link project including the maintenance facility, track installation, utility protection and/or relocation, and overhead power system for the light rail vehicles. Design should be completed late this spring. The project will also include other access improvements to the stations including a hillclimb to be completed at a later date between the Convention Center/S. 15th rail station and the hotel and existing Convention Center.

Once completed the final design work will be submitted for approval to a review committee consisting of representatives of the City of Tacoma, Pierce Transit, Sound Transit and a Sound Transit engineering consultant. Once the final design is accepted construction bids will be solicited and construction could begin this fall, with plans to begin service on the Tacoma Link light rail in fall, 2002.

In addition to the 1.6-mile Tacoma Link light rail line, Sound Transit is developing Sounder commuter rail service between Lakewood and Everett, the Central Link light rail system between SeaTac and Seattle, and is already providing limited stop regional ST Express bus service in the three-county region.

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Sound Transit plans, builds and operates regional transit systems and services to improve mobility for Central Puget Sound.